Cognizant elects former PepsiCo president to board

Zein Abdalla's global perspective will help to shape Cognizant's future, says the CEO

Information technology major Cognizant Technology Solutions on Thursday said Zein Abdalla had been elected to the company’s board of directors. Abdalla was most recently president of PepsiCo.

Chief executive Francisco D’Souza said the global perspective Abdalla had gained by building businesses across developed, developing and emerging markets would help shape Cognizant’s future.

Abdalla, 57, was identified following a search by the nominating and corporate governance committee of the board. Abdalla will also serve on the company’s audit and nominating and corporate governance committee.

Abdalla will serve as a board member until the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting in 2016. He has no direct or indirect relationship with Cognizant or its subsidiaries and is considered an independent director.

Prior to his role as President of PepsiCo, Abdalla served as Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Europe, a division of PepsiCo, starting in November 2009 and was President, PepsiCo Europe Region starting in January 2006. He previously held a variety of senior positions at PepsiCo since he joined that company in 1995, including as General Manager of PepsiCo's European Beverage Business, General Manager of Tropicana Europe and Franchise Vice President for Pakistan and the Gulf region. Abdalla has served on the Board of Directors of Tte TJX Companies, Inc. since 2012, where he is currently a member of the Corporate Governance Committee and the Finance Committee. Abdalla received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London University.